Judges 8:3
in Judges 8God has delivered Oreb and Zeeb, the two princes of Midian, into your hand. What was I able to do compared to you?” When he had said this, their anger against him subsided.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
God hath delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison with you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
KJV
God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.
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This verse in Judges 8
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Why hast thou served us thus
on Judges 8:1-3
Ephraim was called in at 7:24 to hold the waters against the fleeing Midianites, and it took Oreb and Zeeb; the complaint is that the call came late. Gideon answers by setting their gleaning above his whole campaign, the grapes of Ephraim against the vintage of Abiezer, and the anger is abated inside one verse. Judges 12:1 opens with the same tribe bringing the same charge to Jephthah, who answers differently, and forty and two thousand Ephraimites fall at the fords of Jordan. Matthew Henry reads verse 3 against Proverbs 15:1, a soft answer turneth away wrath.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
15 And he came unto the men of Succoth, and said, Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men that are weary?
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb,....
It is true even right works are often envied, Eccl. iv. Yet they are not so apt to be so when those who do them appear not to be proud of them. Those are malignant indeed who seek to cast down from their excellency those that humble and abase themselves, (2.) It is likewise the surest method of ending strife, for only by pride comes contention, Prov. xiii.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Then their anger was abated - A soft answer turneth away wrath. He might have said that he could place but little dependence on his brethren when, through faint-heartedness, 22,000 left him at one time; but he passed this by, and took a more excellent way.
The words behind it
21 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בְּיֶדְכֶם֩ | beyedkhem | in hand your | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| נָתַ֨ן | natan | he has given | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֜ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שָׂרֵ֤י | sarei | [the] commanders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| מִדְיָן֙ | midyan | Midian | H4080 → | 59 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֹרֵ֣ב | ʾorev | Oreb | H6159 → | 7 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זְאֵ֔ב | zeev | Zeeb | H2062 → | 6 times |
| וּמַה־ | umah- | and what? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| יָּכֹ֖לְתִּי | yakholeti | have I been able | H3201 → | 194 times |
| עֲשׂ֣וֹת | asot | to do | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| כָּכֶ֑ם | kakhem | like <the> you | ||
| אָ֗ז | ʾaz | then | H227 → | 141 times |
| רָפְתָ֤ה | rafetah | it relaxed | H7503 → | 46 times |
| רוּחָם֙ | rucham | spirit their | H7307 → | 378 times |
| מֵֽעָלָ֔יו | mealav | from on <the> him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בְּדַבְּר֖וֹ | bedabero | when said he | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| הַדָּבָ֥ר | hadavar | the word | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
בְּיֶדְכֶם֩in hand your
beyedkhemH3027 →1618 times
נָתַ֨ןhe has given
natanH5414 →2011 times
אֱלֹהִ֜יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שָׂרֵ֤י[the] commanders of
sareiH8269 →421 times
מִדְיָן֙Midian
midyanH4080 →59 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֹרֵ֣בOreb
ʾorevH6159 →7 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
זְאֵ֔בZeeb
zeevH2062 →6 times
וּמַה־and what?
umah-H4100 →752 times
יָּכֹ֖לְתִּיhave I been able
yakholetiH3201 →194 times
עֲשׂ֣וֹתto do
asotH6213 →2628 times
כָּכֶ֑םlike <the> you
kakhem
אָ֗זthen
ʾazH227 →141 times
רָפְתָ֤הit relaxed
rafetahH7503 →46 times
רוּחָם֙spirit their
ruchamH7307 →378 times
מֵֽעָלָ֔יוfrom on <the> him
mealavH5921 →5755 times
בְּדַבְּר֖וֹwhen said he
bedaberoH1696 →1141 times
הַדָּבָ֥רthe word
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 12:3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure…
it leads to
- Galatians 6:3
If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
- Philippians 2:3–8
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
- Proverbs 26:12
Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
- 1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Galatians 6:3
Through
Proverbs 15:1A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
it leads to
- Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers all transgressions.
- Proverbs 25:15
Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.
- Proverbs 15:18
A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger calms dispute.
- Proverbs 29:22
An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered man abounds in transgression.
- Proverbs 10:12
About Judges
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.